Best Laid Plans

Black Mountain Fire Lookout

Yay for long weekends! Thursday morning found us leaving town instead of heading to work. Ever since we tent-camped in the Big Horn Mountains a couple of years ago, we have been wanting to get back and explore more thoroughly. This was our weekend to do that! Despite a "check engine" light and a slight delay, we got the camper set up by mid-afternoon. We had spotted a fire lookout on the way in, and we just happened to be camped on the road that led up to it! Wow! Black Mountain Lookout Road was a baptism by fire! Is this what I can expect on every ORV trail in the Big Horns?!? I was very glad for my independent suspension, power steering, and high clearance (all the reasons that we chose the Polaris machines in the first place), as well as any experience that I have gained over the last two years of riding! I finally cried "Uncle!" and we set out on foot to finish the climb. I didn't feel quite so bad about chickening out when we came to the ATV parking area just a tenth of a mile further up the road. But the view from the top made all the effort worthwhile! 

Friday was all about the riding. We rode over the mountains, among the trees, and through the river. We rode main roads, jeep roads, and ORV trails. We saw lots of cool scenery, but I wanted animals. I was especially eager to see moose. We were nearly back to camp late in the afternoon before I finally spied one. She was, however, rather shy and didn't hang around for pictures. Fortunately, we came across a second one a couple of miles later, and this one cared not one little bit how long we wanted to stand watching her and taking photos. After a while, we decided to head back to camp and get supper. With dinner over, I wanted a campfire. I stepped out of the camper and found myself nearly face-to-face with a young mule deer doe. She paid us no mind as she went around the back of the camper to graze in the little meadow behind us. I thought at one point, she might just join us at the fire! 

Peek-a-boo

The trail that we rode on Saturday might well have been my favorite of all three days' riding. It was mostly easy riding without being boring, it followed a river most of the way (always a plus), and it led us to a photogenic young bull moose. Since we wanted to get an earlier start for home than we sometimes do, we limited our miles for the day, and by 4:30, we were pulling out for home. 

Because of the trouble with the truck on the way in, Dan was carefully watching gauges on the way out. Everything was fine until after we got gas in Greybull. Not more than a couple of miles out of town, the engine started to chug and the light came back on. So we pulled over and prepared to wait it out. (Hey, it worked the first time.) After a while, we tried again, only to stop again just a few miles later. So we waited again, even longer. Third time's the charm, right? WRONG! Time to call in the Lone Ranger! We put out a distress call to our good friend Rick, who came to our aid. So much for our early start ~ we pulled into Laurel just after 2 am. And, of course, wouldn't you know it, we had to wait for a train. At that point, we just had to laugh. How else could this story end? 

Ummm... where's the bridge? 

A bit of history: This structure is called a splash dam.
Loggers would hold back the water until conditions were right to "flush"
the logs down the river to sawmills in the towns below. c1905

Smiling rock :)

Nothing Runs Like a Bear!

I apologize that this post is delayed, due to the craziness

of the holiday weekend. 

My girl is home! Our daughter Ashley makes it a priority to be home from Milwaukee, Wisconsin every year for the 4th of July. We must go explore! 

Dan had Thursday night off, so he and Ashley set off over the Beartooth Pass. They found and photographed mountain goats, climbed down to a waterfall, and explored side roads. 

On Friday, I was able to join the fun. We gave Ashley her choice of activities, and she decided that she wanted to see the wild horses. (Even if it did mean riding the "wretched death machines"!) One of our buddies joined us and let her ride with him in his side-by-side. A "real" seat and a seat belt made her feel much better. 

We parked in our usual spot on Helt Road and set off up the mountain. We came down the switchbacks to Crooked Creek Road and ran along the canyon rim. Coming around a corner, I caught movement off to my left. Bear! It stopped for a second, so I went scrambling for the camera. Of course, the camera had settled all the way to the bottom of my backpack, and I couldn't get it out. By now, the bear had given up on me and lumbered out of sight. Dan had caught up to me and asked if I wanted to chase it. Well... NO! He assured me that all the bears in the Pryors are blacks and that we were safe, so we went as far as the initial meadow. But the bear was not in the meadow, and I did not see which way it went. Chasing a bear into dense underbrush didn't seem prudent, so we returned to the machines and caught up with Ashley and Ronny. 

We stopped for lunch at the Big Ice Cave. We fought off the flies while we ate, then we walked the short trail down to the cave. The cool air coming out of the cave felt so good, and it provided relief from the flies. 

Ice stalagmite in the ice floor of the cave.

Then it was on to find the horses. We spotted a small group and spent some time photographing the baby one before moving on to the main herd up the road. We set up the tripod, and Ashley was happily snapping away when someone told us to turn around. The first group of horses had come to join the rest, and they walked right by us, about 20 yards away! THAT was cool! 

Eventually, Dan pointed out the time (and the miles back to the truck), so we reluctantly packed up our gear and headed out. 

We did have to stop again a couple of times, as we encountered a group of big horn sheep and spied an arch that will definitely require some closer inspection on another day.

 

This picture made me laugh. It reminds me of some
sort of athletic team photo. 

All on a Sunny Day

Mystic Lake from the Froze to Death Plateau

With an unexpected extra night off of work and beautiful, sunny weather in the forecast, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my long weekend. We could finally make our assault on Froze to Death Plateau. 

We first discovered East Rosebud and Slough Lake over ten years ago. Then, in the last few years, we made a couple of trips up the West Rosebud drainage to Mystic Lake. I have always wanted to do the whole hike from one end to the other, but we just didn't have a way to make it work. But, now we do. 


Thursday afternoon, we hauled the camper up to the Jimmy Joe Campground in the East Rosebud valley. I was a little surprised and extremely delighted to find the place completely deserted. We chose a spot close to the river and set up camp. Then we drove both vehicles over to the Mystic Lake trail head and left the truck. Then, BACK again (did I mention that it is about thirty miles between the valleys?) for dinner and a little evening photography. 

















We were up early on Friday morning, and on the trail by 7:15. The guidebook said that this is a thirteen mile hike, and the trail divides itself nicely into four roughly equal segments. Slough Lake marked the end of the first quarter, so we took a short break for a snack and a few pictures. 

Slough Lake

The next objective was the summit of the plateau. A beautiful, if distant, waterfall kept us entertained for several miles. We met a hiker coming the other way who told us that he had seen a bear just below the plateau. Well then, I kinda want to see a bear, but I also kinda want to live. 

The whole plateau was blanketed with wildflowers. 

We reached the summit without seeing anything or anybody. The moment that we topped out on the plateau and Mt Wood, Mt Houge, and Pyramid Mountain loomed large on the horizon was perhaps the highlight of the whole day. With renewed vigor, we crossed the plateau and were soon looking down on Mystic Lake and Island Lake. We stopped at this half-way point and just soaked up the sun and the view. 


Once off of the plateau, the trail drops steeply down to Mystic Lake. About half-way down, it became obvious that this was a hike of more than thirteen miles. The gps showed that we were closing in on the twelve mile mark, and we weren't even to the lake yet, and we know that it is three miles from the lake to the parking lot. Eventually, we did reach the lake, and then the truck. Twelve hours and 15.81 miles after we started, I was tired and footsore. But, oh, what a feeling of accomplishment I had! 

The moon was just rising over the ridge as we reached the truck. 

Bonus pictures! =)

This pretty little waterfall gave me opportunity
to practice the soft water effect. 

This mama grouse (?) and her two chicks startled me!

A great blue heron? It was getting a little too dark for really good  pictures, but we had to try!

A very vocal redwing blackbird. 

Where the Wild Things Are

Oh, how many times have we been in the Pryor Mountains and seen nothing in the way of wildlife! We are always looking for the wild horses (or bears), and have spotted only a few. It turns out that we have been on the wrong side of the mountains!

A few weeks ago on the blog, I mentioned Burnt Timber Road and its warning sign regarding the kind of vehicle required in to navigate it. This weekend, we parked the camper at the start of the road and spent both Friday and Saturday riding it. And guess what... We saw horses both days! Friday afternoon, we came across a small herd. We spent quite a bit of time watching them and taking pictures before returning to the camper for a late dinner. 

Moonrise 

The sunrise that I did not get up to see

Saturday morning, we headed for Sykes Ridge Road. Dan has been wanting to try this one for quite a while. We were just getting started when I spotted two horses looking down on us from a higher ridge. Then a little later, we spied another one. This time we were looking down on it, as we had scrambled up a hillside to investigate what we thought might be a cave. (It wasn't.)

We ate our lunch on a peak high above the Big Horn Recreational Area - as in one of the peaks that tower overhead when you are standing at Devil's Overlook or Barry's Landing. We then continued up Sykes Ridge. This trail is a great ride - lots of up and down hills, in and out of trees, and vistas that go on forever. 

Not long after lunch, Dan noticed a group of bighorn sheep lounging in the shade of a lone tree. So once again, we were off the machines and photographing wild things. 





The highlight of the day, though, was still to come. As we approached Pen's Cabin, there were horses everywhere! It was so much fun to photograph a couple of foals, as well as the interaction of both stallions and mares. We spent a long time enjoying their antics before reluctantly moving on. My day was made! That's one more thing that I can cross off the Summer 2015 To Do list. 

Whole lotta horses!

P.S. I have to admit that I am saving the best pictures for the photography Face Book page. Please check us out at Photography by Dan and Tammi Capron. Remember to like our page while you are there. 

Over the Highway, and into the Park...

... to Yellowstone we will go!

This post is heavy to photos.

Not sorry. :)

Yellowstone National Park is one of my favorite places on earth. Yes, it gets crowded. Yes, tourists often put on a splendid display of stupidity. But all in all, the scenery, the vastness of untouched wilderness, and the abundance of wildlife make the small irritants just that ~ small. 

We are always glad when the Beartooth Pass opens in the spring. Not only is it the shortest, most direct route, but the fun of the drive and the spectacular scenery in all directions make it a destination in its own right. To correct myself, the highway is the shortest, most direct route in mileage. It took us five or six hours to get from home to the park entrance. We stopped to chase a goat, to climb the rocks at the summit, and to photograph two waterfalls and a lake. 

Eventually, we DID make it into the park. My main photo objective for the day was baby animals. We went by several herds of buffalo before we found one with babies in it close to the road. Ever alert for the bison with an attitude, we set up the tripod and took pictures until I figured that I had enough to have something good. Baby buffaloes ~ check. 

Dan was the one to spot our next subject - a female bighorn sheep contentedly nibbling the grass on a shady hillside. After taking another bunch of pictures (good thing we don't have to buy film anymore), Dan decided that we should climb to the top of the hill to see if the rest of the flock was hanging out up there. So we climbed. Can you guess what was over that hill? Another hill. We walked probably a mile before we spotted a small group of sheep yet another half-mile or so away. We decided to return to the car and make our way to Mammoth to look for elk calves. 

Mammoth is always over-run by elk. But not today. We spotted all of three elk resting in the shade near the headquarter buildings. So much for babies! We moved away from the crowds around the hot spring terraces and headed up a hiking trail into the woods. It was early evening, and we met only a few other hikers. Perfect! We met one family on their way out who told us that there were elk ahead. And so there were. Still no babies, unfortunately, but we did have the animals all to ourselves. Presently the rumble of thunder, and maybe a rumble in my tummy, chased us out of the woods. We got to the car just as the rain started coming down hard. We got just enough of a break in the rain to get inside the restaurant before the deluge continued. By the time we started for home, the rain had mostly stopped, and the clouds made for a beautiful sunset. 

Group Therapy

 Hi, my name is Tammi, and I am addicted to ATV's.

I guess you can blame my daddy for my addiction. He is the one that introduced me to "off-roading" and "two-tracking." One of my earliest childhood memories is going straight up a steep hill in the back of a jeep. And in time, as so often happens, I married a man just like my daddy. Guess what? He came with a big, green Chevy pickup and an everlasting curiosity for "Where does this road go?" Time and a move to Montana have not changed my love for getting out. In fact, it has only introduced me to more like-minded people. 

This weekend was no exception. On Friday, we hauled the camper down to the Pryors. We got it set up, and then unloaded the four-wheelers. Despite clouds and spitting rain, we headed out. We ended up running main roads for most of the afternoon, but late in the day, we came to Burnt Timber Road. There was a large sign warning that this is NOT a road for cars. NOW you're talking! After a quick, exploratory foray, we decided to save it for another day when we have more time. 

Saturday morning, we were joined by some friends, and we hit the trail again. One of our favorite ways to get from where we camp to the canyon on the other side of the mountain is over a series of switchbacks. Starting down, we quickly concluded that we were the first group down the road this spring. The road was littered with downed snags. Fortunately, a couple of axes and a "few good men" made it fun to do our civic duty in clearing the trail for all of our fellow riders. 

We were actually planning to ride to the Big Ice Cave, but the road was still barred. Oh well... We continued up the trail the other direction until we were stopped by a snowbank. No worries, we just went another way. All in all, Dan and I rode more than 100 miles over the two days. 

You know, now that I think about it, nevermind... I don't want to get over this addiction. If you need me, I'll be out on a back road somewhere. Catch me if you can! 

Lovin' my Friday

After a couple of rough nights at work this week, I was so ready for it to be Friday! Since Dan is playing a tournament on Monday, we had to start the day at the golf course. It was a beautiful morning, and I played okay, so it wasn't too much of a trial. I was eager, though, to get done, because we also had plans for the afternoon. 

As the weather has improved, I have been impatient to get back into the mountains. Since the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway is kept open all winter, it was a sure bet. But we also got a bonus ~ the road between the highway and Cooke City opened for the season this week, so we went right on through into Yellowstone. 

My main objective for this trip was wildlife pictures. While it is still a few weeks too soon for babies, I expected that the adult animals were going to have spring fever just as badly as I do. We have seen moose and bears on the Chief Joseph before, so we were on high alert. But we saw nothing but a goose and a few ducks. 

However, our luck was about to change as we came into the park. We were only a mile or two past the entrance when I spotted a small canine walking along the road. It was not a small coyote, as I first thought, but rather a large fox. It even paused a couple of times to pose for us. And we were just getting started! We added a black bear and big horn sheep, then a moose, and finally an elk.

As daylight started to fade, the nearly-full moon rose over the mountains and made for a picturesque drive home.